1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments include a system and method for selecting technology used in vehicle part or assembly production.
2. Background Art
Recently, the price for commodities such as steel has been rising sharply. Vehicle manufacturers, for example, have been particularly affected by these price changes. These increases can cause a drain on a vehicle company's finances sometimes in the hundred's of millions of dollars. Moreover, while the price of commodities is increasing, the cost of technologies for processing commodities is decreasing. For example, the cost of laser welding technologies has significantly decreased over the past few years.
Various examples exist in the prior art that attempt to provide a solution for this complexity. A thesis paper entitled “Concurrent Engineering in Manufacturing” authored by Don Anderson provides an overview and analysis of the concept of Concurrent Engineering. The paper discusses the scope of Concurrent Engineering in manufacturing through the use of examples and by describing its benefits in Computer-Integrated Manufacturing.
Another paper entitled “Design for Manufacture and Assembly on the Internet” authored by Huang, G. Q., et al. discusses the use of the Internet with respect to design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) techniques. The paper discusses an experiment that is conducted to illustrate how a design-for-assembly technique, typically performed on a standalone workstation, can be converted into a web-based version.